The Flare Foundation has proposed STP.09 (Songbird Test Proposal), a governance proposal seeking to bring the Flare Data Connector (FDC) onto the Songbird network.
The FDC is a protocol on Flare that allows dApps to securely access and import external events onto Flare and Songbird. If STP.09 passes, the FDC will replace the State Connector on Songbird and aim to improve the range of available data in a trustless manner. A wider range of data means a wider range of dApps providing different services and tools.
📌 We’ll go into more detail, but first, remember these dates:
STP.09: https://proposals.flare.network/STP/STP_9.html
Notice period: October 17 – October 23, 2024
Voting period: October 24 – October 30, 2024
All token holders, except for the Flare Foundation and Flare VC Fund, are eligible to vote at Flare Portal. For more information on governance, check out Flare 101 Series: How Does Flare’s Governance Work?.
How does the Flare Data Connector work?
The FDC uses a request-based system to allow dApps and smart contracts to access and verify external data – such as transactions, block confirmations, and addresses from other blockchains. In other words, the FDC can import many different types of data efficiently, but only data explicitly requested by users. This allows developers to avoid monitoring or importing unnecessary data. Using a request-based system also reduces the often high costs of data access. The FDC voting epochs are synced with FTSOv2 (Flare Time Series Oracle) voting epochs and consist of multiple phases:
Collect phase
This is the period in which users can submit requests for data via the FDC. Requests can be sent at all times because a new collect phase begins immediately after the previous collect phase ends.
Choose phase
When a user requests data via the FDC, its data providers verify that the data is accurate – this is called attestation. FDC service providers attest to requested data by voting on whether or not they deem it accurate. Data determined to be accurate will be confirmed in the next phase.
Resolution phase
Any confirmed requests are then published on-chain via a Merkle root.
What should I know about STP.09?
Introduction of the FDC protocol
The FDC will replace the current State Connector, enabling dApps to import a broader range of off-chain data securely and trustlessly. This paves the way for developers on Songbird and Flare to build dApps with innovative and unique use cases. It also enhances Flare’s capacity to support more complex, data-intensive dApps.
Attestation Types for FAssets
The FDC will support attestation types that will be required for the FAsset system. Each attestation type is predefined, and defines the data source and response method for requests of that type. Simply put, attestations ensure that dApps can trustlessly pull verified external data for specific use cases.
Some examples of attestation types will include AddressValidity, which confirms the validity of an address format on an external chain, and Payment, which confirms a transaction on an external chain considered as payment in a native currency. For a full list of attestation types, refer to the STP.09 proposal.
The Flare community can propose new attestation types, with a formal process for adding new ones to be introduced in a future governance proposal.
New Rewarding Structure
FDC data providers are rewarded for voting on and attesting to data requests, proportional to their total active weight. Rewards come from two sources:
- Flare’s yearly inflation: 50-50 split between FTSOv2 and FDC participation rewards
- FDC user fees: Distributed based on provider participation and active weight
To qualify as an FDC data provider, participants must meet specific criteria:
- Infrastructure: Providers are required to maintain verification servers on external chains to facilitate data attestation.
- Voting Accuracy: Providers are only eligible for rewards if their votes align with the correct Merkle root in each voting round.
Meeting these criteria ensures high-quality data provision and consistent contributions to the FDC.
How will STP.09 benefit the Flare community?
In introducing the Flare Data Connector on Songbird, developers and end-users alike will benefit significantly. The FDC offers a versatile framework for dApps that require external data (both on-chain and off-chain sources), as it’ll enable more complex and data-intensive applications to be built on Flare.
Specifically, the FDC will play a central role in the much-anticipated FAssets system, which will allow non-smart contract tokens like BTC and XRP to be used trustlessly on Flare. For a fun demonstration of the FDC’s capabilities, read up on the 2024 Summer Olympics prediction market game made by one of Flare’s developer partners. It’s just a small sample of the many real-world use cases made possible by the FDC. Being able to securely pull real-world data will power the next generation of dApps.
Remember to vote
As a reminder, the voting period for STP.09 starts on October 24, 2024 and will remain open through October 30, 2024. Voting on proposals is an excellent way of being active in building Flare’s future. So what are you waiting for?